New year...now what? In today’s episode we’re going to talk about what a new year really means in your business, and how to get reset.

In the spirit of what’s working now, I’ll share what’s coming with me into 2016, what needs to go, and some of my fave ways to get reset for something new. Show notes with key points, takeaways, and links for this episode available at www.maggiepatterson.com/episode117.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

Give yourself room and space to be okay with not everything changing immediately just because it’s a new year

I talk about thinking of each day as your fresh start instead of the entire year, not everything will go according to plan!

I share with you how I do my planning each year and why it works for me

I give examples of how things are constantly changing for me every 90 days, including pulling things off my dream list onto my to do list

A plan is really important but can lead to planning paralysis: I explain what this is and how it holds us back in our business

Make sure you do the math with your planning: it’s easy to thinking you have to do something but if the math doesn’t work out to make you a good profit, it’s probably not worth it

Know what is possible and set your goals on real numbers, as you probably won’t be ‘the different’ one

I share my personal plan for 2016 and how I’m getting there

Set your desired feeling for 2016; mine was space for 2015 and I share what that meant for me. I also share my new desire for 2016 and why

I’m also sharing what’s in store for my business in 2016 and what’s happening to The Marketing Moxie Show

Top 3 Strategies for resetting in 2016:

Take the pressure off! A new year doesn’t mean everything will automatically fall into place. It’s about the small gains you make along the way.

Ditch the full year planning. I do 2 part planning: the overview (things like vacations, launches, etc) and then 90 day plans and goals.

Stop over planning! You learn by planning, not by doing. Don’t plan yourself right out of what you’re doing.

What’s working now continues as we dive into a specific tactic that’s helped Jules Taggart do less outbound marketing and increase the percentage of referrals and repeat clients. If you run a services-based business, you’ll want to listen to what Jules is doing and get these ideas into action. Show notes with key points, takeaways, and links for this episode available at www.maggiepatterson.com/episode116.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

Jules shares how and why she has spent more time this year marketing to current and past clients and people in her inner circle instead of mass marketing

Jules explains how she keeps touching base with clients without feeling pushy

Jules shares her 4 steps she uses to market each client individually according to their needs

Sending your potential clients information pertinent to them lets them know you’re thinking about them whether or not you decide to work together

Once she’s wrapped up a client, Jules explains what she does to continue nurturing that relationship

Once you’re done working with someone, anticipating what’s next for them and how you can help them further is key to continuing your relationship

Playing the long game in sales is how Jules has shifted her marketing and kept clients coming back

Jules' tip for scheduling the follow up so you don’t keep putting it off or miss it

Jules shares some of her results from focusing her marketing in this way over the past year

Asking for referrals is key, and doing it in the right way is super important

Jules explains how doing less marketing is okay, it’s more important to be doing the things you want to do

Top 3 Takeaways for this Episode:

Be of value and understand your sale cycle. Be very strategic about when you touch people and how you do it. If you have a longer sales cycle, you may need to get creative!

I’m very passionate about the thank you note: a hand written, thoughtful note speaks volumes. It’s way more personal than an email and will set you apart.

If you want to have repeat clients continue to come back to you, you need to be anticipating their needs. Don’t just follow up with ‘do you need something else?’ Instead, offer help with something specific you know they have coming up. Do this with real acts of service in mind and not in a pushy, ‘sales-ey’ way

If you run a services-based business you may have had the experience of offering free consults that turn into an exercise in frustration as you’re not closing any clients. Coach Cailen Asher shares the tweaks she made to her consult process to help deliver more value and sign on more clients in today’s show. Show notes with key points, takeaways, and links for this episode available at www.maggiepatterson.com/episode115.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

Cailen shares what she’s been doing to close more free consult conversations into actual business

It’s okay to share your format and expectations with your free consult client at the beginning of your call

The key is to listen: really hear what they need from you without thinking about whether they’ll hire you or not

Once you’ve listened, offer 1 piece of valuable advice that they can implement right away and will give them a taste of working with you

Cailen walks us through her system for pre-qualifying clients before they get on the call

Use your pre-screen form as a starting point for your call with them, come to the table with some ideas on how you’ll be able to help them

Make sure you send a reminder for the consultation; it’s an easy thing to forget

Following up is key, just because you don’t land the booking on the call doesn’t mean the answer is no

Sometimes the answer is no only because the client feels pushed into it on the call; you have to balance that with being confident in your value

Deliver your price with confidence and then stop talking, don’t over explain or give a bunch of options

Cailen shares the results she’s experienced since implementing a defined way to approach her free consults

When you start feeling more confident about your consultations, you will enjoy them more and bring a more positive energy to the call which will ultimately result in more ‘yes’

Top 3 Takeaways for this Episode:

Prequalify people before you book them for a consult. Make sure prospects are a good fit with you and how you do things.

Have a structure for your consult so they know exactly what to expect and you can maximize your time together.

When it’s time to make the offer, find a way to do it confidently and so it meets everyone’s needs.